[Durham INC] Literacy

[Christine Chamberlain]

Pat, and a few others, sent excellent replies to the discussion on literacy.  Where, in this discussion on literacy, did the topic of "black boys" enter in?  Carl Kenny speaks up to say black boys are illiterate.  Not white boys.  Not white girls.  Not black girls.  Carl Kenney, role model to black boys, tells us black boys are illiterate.


Carl said,  "Black boys have several things working against them: schools that cater to 
female learning styles, the continuing effects of racism in schools 
(stereotyping black boys as “aggressive” or “dumb”), and a culture where male role models are seriously lacking."

Hogwash.  This is hogwash, Carl.  Stop blaming the schools, the fault lies within the home.  The sentence you included directly after this was "In 2002, 66% of boys lived in a home absent of their biological father."  Stop blaming the schools.  The role of an educator is to educate. Period.


1. "cater to female learning styles"?  Where on earth did you come up with that one?  IF this were true, why aren't the white males suffering?


2. We're talking about preschool and elementary grade children here.  NO ONE, except people such as yourself, is telling these children they are dumb and aggressive.


3.  Yes, there are few black male role models.  Unfortunately, a tiny segment undermine the work of the black male role models by telling these little boys racism is why they can't make it beyond 3rd grade.  
  

Fact:  Healthy Start Academy has had a good number of black male teachers over the course of 14 years.  My daughter sat in their classroom.  Not once, in 14 years, has racism entered the classroom.  The message of racism comes from a tiny segment of black folks, like you, trying to keep the only job they have.


Christine Chamberlain


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